Challenge your square to dance without using their arms and hands. Because arm movements often lead each call, dancers may find it tricky to follow the caller's instructions without familiar kinesthetic clues. You will have to rely on eye contact to connect with your partners and stay synchronized with the others in your square. Long-time dancers may find that their arms move automatically with each call. If you like, give a prize to the dancer who is able to resist using their hands and arms the longest.
Having male and female dancers switch places in a square adds an extra dose of humor to your dance. Dancers will need to think on their feet to reverse many of the motions and pay attention to gender-specific calls. This game, sometimes called an "arky square," can make your square chaotic so be sure that each dancer says they will participate in the game before you begin playing. Make the individual or couple who most successfully "switches genders" the winner of the game.
Dance with only people of the same gender in each square. This means that half of the dancers in each square will need to perform steps and calls as though they are of the opposite gender. Before you begin the game, clarify which dancers will be taking the women's position and which will take the men's. Gender-specific calls like "boy's run" can get confusing, but if dancers think on their toes this game can be successful and fun. You might also employ a same-gendered square if there is a greater proportion of women than men in the dance hall or vise-versa.
Have at least half of the dancers in your square link up with another person to become "Gemini" dancers. Dancers wrap their arm around the waist of another and perform the dance as though they were one person. Dancing "Gemini" is a challenge for the linked dancers as well as their partners. Adjust the width of your square to accommodate the extra bodies. If you're really daring, have every dancer in the square link up with another person! Give a prize to the most successful linked pair.